All's Fair in Love and War

A fic by Jenna, AKA: Angel's Blue Eyed Girl

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters. I simply like to take them out, play with them, but at the end of the day I return them :( Wish I owned Damon…

A/N: Okay, first off I know this fic has been sadly neglected. All of my fics have. But I had a very rough year last year. I've shared this before (in this story as a matter of fact) I have Bi-Polar Disorder and it sometimes affects me in ways that I cannot even describe to you unless you've experienced it. I was so bad in 2013/2014 that I was actually hospitalized for a spell. It was tremendously traumatizing for me and it has taken me some time to get over the experience. But—as I have in the past—I battled my demons and I've come out the other side of this disorder once again. I refuse to let this dragon slay me! I know I have lost most of my readers here…but I can only hope this fic will find an audience again. I have made a vow to finish each and every fic I have posted here before I start anything new. This is one of the ones musie seems to be fired up about. I'm gonna run with that enthusiasm.

Okay…enough of me. Let's get on with the show. It might help to go back and read chappie 13 of this before you read this. But to give you a cliff-notes version: Elena and Damon had a night of wild passionate sex where Katherine (unbeknownst to D&E) found them in the buff the morning after. Klaus and Elijah are plotting (as usual-right) to get Kat by using Elena. Damon knows about the plot to seduce Stefan. And poor Steffie—well he's in the dark—right where I like him. Lol! ;)

Okay, if you want the details—read this again before you read this chappie.

Thank you to each and every one of my friends here who have supported me and asked about me. It means so much.

Hugs,

Jenna

****************************************D&E****************************************

Chappie 14:

The Pool House on the Salvatore Estate:

The sun was barely rising as Damon sat on the bed and stroked a finger down Elena's cheek. She was still asleep and there was nothing he wanted more than to crawl right back in bed with her, but he had to make an appearance at the office today. He had a huge deal to close and he'd already heard an earful from the other board members on his no-show yesterday.

Elena gave a little moan and rolled over, exposing the naked line of her back and the little dip in her spine right where it met her spectacular ass; Damon had to bite his lip to keep his moan in check. He'd just had her—he glanced at the clock (6:30 am) less than two hours ago, yet his dick was hard and ready for another round with just a glimpse of her naked body.

Yep, he was addicted.

Elena turned her head and blinked open her big brown eyes. "Hey," she said, her voice roughened with sleep, but then she smiled and it made something within his chest jump.

He felt an answering one tug at his own lips. "Hey yourself," he replied softly. "Listen, I have to go to work, but I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye."

It wasn't his norm. With most of his women he had no problems making a clean getaway without the 'morning after conversation', but (as usual) with Elena, all his norms went right out the window, and he'd felt compelled to wake her up before he left.

Elena sat up in bed, modestly tucking the sheet under her armpits while she pouted adorably. "I miss you already."

Damon almost groaned out loud. She was killing him. "Ditto, babe, but I have to go. My board of directors reamed me a new on for flaking yesterday."

Elena suddenly yawned and Damon reminded her they'd only had about three hours' sleep. "Go back to bed, baby, but if you would...I'd appreciate it if you'd lock up before you leave. If Lupe finds this place like this…" he waved a hand at the bottles of booze he'd consumed before Elena's arrival, "she'll kill me."

Elena chuckled huskily. "You're scared of her, aren't you?"

Damon made a face of mock horror. "You bet I am. That woman packs a hell of a wallop! Believe me," he told her with that sexy little half smile of his, "I felt it on my backside enough when I was kid to know."

Elena crinkled up her nose. "Okay, Lupe spanking you is so not a visual I want in my head."

Damon burst out laughing. "Wow. What a little perv you are, Elena. I was ten and there was nothing weird about it."

Elena turned away for a moment, her features tightening and Damon could feel her mood shifting—it was something dark, and while he wanted to ask her about it and what had caused it, he didn't have the time, so he headed off the scene, reminding himself to ask her later when he could get to the bottom of it.

"I'm going to miss you too, you know," he said. The sheet dropped a bit, giving him a good view of her cleavage. "I really—you have no idea how much I wish I didn't have to go, but we have a huge deal with a company developing this new drug and I have to be there for it." He smiled. "If I didn't I'd be in that bed and we'd already be rounding orgasm number two of the morning. Trust me."

Elena swallowed thickly, his words making her belly clench with desire. "When will you be home?"

"Will it get me another smile if I promise to be home by seven," he said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Maybe," Elena sniffed, but then she blew her blasé attitude by grinning. "Okay yeah," she said, reaching up and taking hold of his tie. She tugged him closer until their lips were only inches apart. "But a kiss would really earn you some brownie points."

"Oh, I'm all for stashing up brownie points," Damon said and kissed her.

Elena moaned softly, her fingers digging into his soft hair and opening her mouth to allow the kiss to deepen which Damon immediately took advantage of. His tongue swept into her mouth to mate with hers deliciously, reminding them both of the passion that brewed between them.

His phone buzzed and with a groan of disappointment, Damon reluctantly broke the kiss and pulled away. He checked the caller ID and sighed. "I gotta go, 'Lena. I'll see you tonight. Right?"

Elena let the sheet fall, exposing her breasts for a moment and Damon's eyes immediately dropped to them, another groan escaping him, before she launched herself at him and hugged him. Damon caught her easily just as she laid one on him, kissing him one last time.

When she finally pulled back, they were both breathing hard.

"Yes," she murmured, her eyes drinking in the beauty that was Damon Salvatore. "I'll be here. Promise."

He nodded. Went to leave, but then turned right back around, grabbed her hand and dragged her right up onto her knees. The sheet fell away completely giving him a full frontal of her naked body.

"Damon!" Elena gasped, suddenly feeling shy.

Damon stayed her hands when they went to cover herself. "No. This vision is going to get me through work today," he quipped, letting his gaze roam over her for one long moment. "I'll see you tonight," he said before swooping down and stealing another kiss.

And then before he could change his mind and listen to the smaller brain south of his belt buckle that was screaming at him to screw work, he headed out the door without looking back; knowing if he did so, he wouldn't leave.

Elena watched him go with a goofy smile on her face. When the door shut behind his far too tempting behind, she fell back on the bed with a sigh.

Oh yeah, she was in trouble. She'd fallen in love…with the man who swore to never love again.

Great!

*************************************D&E*************************************

Later that morning, Elena had just stepped out of the shower, a towel wrapped around her naked, still wet body, when Katherine entered her room without so much as a knock. Elena gasped, clutching her towel tight in surprise, but as usual, Katherine showed no remorse for barging right on in her personal space.

"Did you talk to Damon about his snooping?" the elder twin asked in lieu of a greeting.

"Uh…" For a moment Elena's mind went blank. Her and Damon had talked—quite a bit actually especially when you considered they'd been naked at the time, however, not about that.

"Well?" Katherine prompted, the tapping of her foot the only indication that she was impatient and upset. She knew full well what Damon and Elena had been up to and she highly doubted that talking (of any kind) had been high on the priority list!

Katherine was obviously agitated and it was only by sheer force of will Elena managed to keep her expression free from the nagging guilt that began to worm its way into her consciousness. She'd slept with the man her sister considered hers, but then again, Katherine was married to Damon's brother and far from an innocent party in this whole debacle. With that reminder in place, she looked her sister right in the eye and lied to her face. "Yeah, I did actually. He explained everything," she said blending the truth with fiction. "He just wants to help, Kat. He even said he'd take care of Jeremy's debt with Klaus and Elijah."

Elena dropped her towel and started to dress, keeping one wary eye on her sister, gauging her reaction as she quickly stepped into a pair of panties and slipped an olive green ARMY tank top over her head.

"Oh, I bet he did," Kat replied, sarcasm dripping off every word as her mind flashed back to the image of a very naked Damon wrapped around the equally nude form of her sister. "And just what made him offer up his checkbook? Or would it be more accurate to ask, what did you offer him?"

Pulling on a pair of jeans, Elena frowned at that, not at all liking what Kat was implying. "Nothing," she told her, and that was the truth. Thankfully, Damon had offered his help before they'd slept together, otherwise Katherine's words might have given her pause, but Elena recognized the bitchiness in her sister's statement; leave it to Katherine to believe no one would ever do anything nice just because.

Katherine sure as hell hadn't!

"He's offering to help without asking for anything...despite knowing it was me that left with Stefan yesterday." Elena paused and gave her sister a heated glare. "No thanks to you. I love the way you spilled the beans about your plan and threw me under the bus about it, but neglected to tell him you're the one who blackmailed me into it!" Elena snorted. "Nice."

"I didn't have a choice," Kat explained with a sigh, looking down at her nails as if bored. She couldn't look at her sister, sure her eyes would expose the vengeful wrath simmering just beneath her calm surface. "Even though I was dressed as you, he knew it was me. What was I supposed to say? Trick or Treat?"

"I guess not, but still…" Elena shook her head. She just wanted this whole situation behind them. Maybe if she just got Katherine to see how crazy her plan was, she'd give up on Damon and focus on fixing her marriage to Stefan. "You know what? It doesn't matter. I'm glad he knows," she said, missing the fury that tightened Katherine's features. "This way we can start over and maybe you and Damon can repair the damage you've done to each other and you can move on with Stefan."

Elena desperately wanted it to be true, she was always the mediator, but it was the impossible pipe dream. And the words had no sooner left her mouth when Katherine's head snapped up, their gazes met, and for the first time Elena got a glimpse at the rage brewing under her sister's blasé attitude.

Elena's eyes widened. "You can't still be thinking of going through with your plan?" she hissed.

Katherine tossed her chocolate curls defiantly. "What if I am?"

Elena couldn't believe the gall of her sister! "Oh. My. God. Are you crazy?! Katherine, Damon knows. If he finds out you're still plotting—he's telling Stefan everything. Believe it! And then you'll have nothing. No Damon. No Stefan. No marriage and no security!" Elena stressed the last part because she knew how important a safety net was to her sister. "You have to forget Damon," she said gently, "what you had with him is in the past. Let it stay there. Work on fixing your marriage instead. It's better for all of us."

When Katherine's expression remained mutinous, Elena grabbed her hands, frantic to make her sister see reason. "Please, for once in your life, don't act on impulse. Think about what you're about to do. If you continue with this plot of yours, not only will you lose Damon forever, but you'll lose your husband and the life you've built with him here. Think about that…please!"

Elena was desperate. The last thing she wanted was for Kat to force Damon's hand. She had no doubts Damon would tell Stefan—even if it meant blowing up his own relationship with his brother. The elder Salvatore brother was not the type of man to be held hostage. He'd shoot himself in the foot and take them all down with him before he'd allow that to happen.

Elena needed to make Katherine see that!

But Katherine wasn't having it. "And you get to…what? Waltz away with Damon and live happily ever after?" She shook her head. "Oh no. I don't think so, Elena."

"Katherine!" Elena cried. "Be reasonable. It'll never work now that Damon knows. Face it…he's lost to you."

For several long moments, Katherine's bull-headedness made her blindly determined to follow through with her original designs, but Elena's words finally sunk in and she realized her sister was right, Damon was lost to her. It infuriated her, because she desired him above all others, but there was simply nothing more she could do to win him back. He'd made his decision last night when he'd taken her sister into his bed. However…there was something she could do to make sure Elena didn't end up with him either. And in an instant, her s ingle-minded determination switched from getting Damon back, to plotting his downfall.

Katherine straightened her shoulders, gave her sister a smile, placating the younger twin, and began to spin the new plan that was formulating in her devious mind. "You're right, Elena," she said softly, putting just the right amount of sorrow in her voice. "I didn't want to see it because…like I told you…I realized I still love him, but I guess it's pretty obvious…he doesn't love me anymore. I was foolish to think I could make him feel that again through sex. If anyone should know sex doesn't equal love—it should be me, right?" It was a well-placed barb, with several meanings, and Katherine watched her sister's reactions under her lashes, a small cruel smirk twisting her lips when Elena flinched as it struck home with deadly accuracy.

Having successfully planted the seed of doubt about Damon's affections in Elena's mind, Katherine moved ahead with her tale, putting her plan for revenge into full swing. "I was also wrong to ask you to seduce, Stefan." She gave a bitter little laugh. "Call it a 'Hail Mary pass' from a desperate woman who realized she'd let the one man she truly loved slip through her fingers. It was stupid and selfish, but I want to make it right. Let me give you the money for Jeremy. If I do this…it'll be the first truly unselfish thing I've done in like…forever!" She took Elena's face in her hands. "Please. I want to make this right. If I gave you the money right now, could you get it to Elijah and Klaus by tomorrow and make sure Jeremy was safe?"

Caught in a quandary, Elena didn't know what to do. On one hand, Damon said he'd help her and he seemed to genuinely care about her, but Katherine's words about sex and love were ringing in her ears; Elena was well aware of just how many times Damon had had sex minus any feelings involved. Was their tryst really meaningful to him? Or was she just another notch on his bedpost? And now Katherine wanted to make things right. Elena was confused. She wanted both of her hopes for a bright future to be real. She wanted her sister back and she wanted Damon. But could she really have both?

"Elena," Katherine prodded, "I'll get you the money today—right now. Let's just go to the bank and I can have you the cash in an hour and then I can do the right thing…"

"Why now?" Elena suddenly asked. She didn't want to be suspicious of her sister's motivations, but Kat's track record wasn't exactly spotless and she had to ask. "Why are you suddenly willing to help Jeremy, when you were dead-set against it before?"

"I wasn't actually against helping Jeremy," Katherine said calmly.

"No. You just wanted me to seduce your husband first, so you could have Damon."

Kat sighed. She could see where Elena was going with this line of questioning. She had to nip it in the bud. "And because I didn't get Damon…you want to know why am I offering to help now?"

Elena nodded. "Yeah. I mean, you didn't get what you wanted. I know you. When that happens, it usually ends badly for anyone who stood in your way. So, why the change of heart, Kat? Explain your epiphany to me so I can understand it."

And believe it Elena added silently.

"Would it be so difficult for you to believe that I want to help now because it's the right thing to do?" Elena simply raised a brow, so Kat switched gears, giving her sister an excuse more believable because it had a small basis in truth. "Fine. I'm thinking maybe if I pay off Jeremy's debts, Damon will see that I'm not as heartless and selfish as he believes. And if he stops hating me, he won't tell Stefan what I tried to do." She smiled, but it wasn't one of joy. "Happy now?"

"Actually, I am. Thank you for being honest with me and while I wish you were offering just because you love your brother…this is a step in the right direction, Kat."

"Terrific. I've convinced you I'm rehabilitating from big-bad-bitch-syndrome. But, I'm not quite up to hugging it out yet, so answer me this… Do you want my help, or not? Because if you don't, I'll understand. But if you do…I'm giving it. Freely and without conflict this time."

"I do," Elena said, smiling happily already fast forwarding in her mind when she could give Klaus and Elijah their money and remove the 'proverbial' blade hanging over her brother's neck! She was so happy she hugged Kat anyways. "Thank you," she murmured. "I know this 'doing the right thing' feeling is uncomfortable, but you won't regret it, Kat. I promise."

Katherine's slow, lazy smile was treacherous and had Elena seen it alarm bells would have went off in her head signaling 'danger'! "Oh, I know I won't. Trust me," she said returning Elena's hug briefly before she pulled back. "So…" She waved a hand at the door. "Let's get to the bank, shall we?"

Elena nodded, her grin spreading across her face from ear to ear. She was excited. Her thoughts so focused on Katherine's about face and helping her brother, that in her excitement, she completely forgot to tell Damon what she was doing…

**************************************D&E*****************************************

New York City: Damon's Manhattan Office

Damon was leaning back in his chair, contemplating the Manhattan skyline and thinking about Elena when his private phone buzzed; he picked it up on the first ring. "Yeah, Rebekah?"

His uppity blonde British secretary announced he had a "Mason Lockwood on line one".

Damon thanked her and hung up before she could ask him if he needed anything else, especially since her anything else's had begun to trail into the inappropriate lately, and while he'd normally indulge in that kind of behavior, (Rebekah was sexy and just the kind of distraction he usually preferred) his thoughts were so focused on Elena, no other woman seemed to rate on his radar.

He might find that frightening, if he wasn't feeling pretty damned happy about it.

"Mason," he said leaning back in his seat with a smile, "what's up?"

"Well, don't you sound cheerful?" his longtime friend and private eye returned. "Either you got laid or Rose has already given you better Intel on your twins that what I've got."

"Ha. Look who decided to grow a funny bone," Damon quipped sarcastically, but he was teasing; his mood couldn't be dimmed. For the first time in a long time, he was totally happy. He'd had the most amazing day and night in his life with Elena and he could see something special happening between them. And if that wasn't enough to put him over the moon, he'd closed a billion dollar deal this morning when he acquired the rights to a new drug that looked promising in relieving the symptoms of Alzheimer's. If the mass clinical tryout did as well as in house testing—this drug wouldn't just make him a ton of money… It could literally change the world. With his love life in sync with his financial, Damon was floating on Cloud Nine right about now and nothing was going to bring him down today.

He kicked his feet up on the desk. "Is there a point to this call or are you just calling to be an ass?"

"Actually, there is a reason for my call. I have some pretty serious information on Katherine if you're still interested?"

"Of course I'm still interested. As long as Katherine's breathing the same air as me she's a threat. What is it?"

There was the sound of pages being turned before Mason started to speak. "Okay, so it took a lot of palms getting greased to get this, but I think you'll find it enlightening. I've got school records here and a court document filed by one Dr. Miranda Grayson on behalf of Katherine Tatianna Gilbert. Dr. Grayson petitioned to have Kat removed from her home, Damon, and placed into the foster care system."

Damon felt his stomach knot up and his legs dropped off the desk as he sat forward, the wheels of his chair landing with a thunk. It was the same sound his heart had made when his hopes and dreams had been crushed so long ago, and he just knew…this was going to be just as heartbreaking. "What? Why?"

Mason sighed. He'd debated telling his friend this information. But Damon was a stickler about details—meaning he wanted them all and Mason had finally decided to give his friend the scoop and let Damon sort it out as he saw fit.

"Mason," Damon prodded, "what happened to Kat that had the good Doctor removing her from her home?"

"Something that should never happen to any child," Mason growled and then proceeded to read the report, not holding back any of the information he'd gathered. "It seems during freshman year, Katherine started exhibiting signs of sexual abuse. According to Dr. Grayson's notes, Katherine was assigned to her for counseling. They got pretty close and Miranda believed it was Kat's father that was abusing her. Katherine eventually confirmed it and Dr. Grayson had Katherine removed from the house pending the investigation."

Damon leaned an elbow on his desk, sinking into his chair as he processed that bit of information. His chest felt tight—constricted and he felt sick that Katherine had been exposed to something as horrible as molestation. Mason was right. That was something *no* child (or anyone for that matter) should ever have to go through. There had been times—things Kat had said that had made him question her childhood, but she'd been so tightlipped about it all, he'd never been able to peel back her layers and see what was underneath. To understand what she'd gone through. The only reason he (now) knew that the report Mason had was probably true, was because of Elena and her confessions about her upbringing the other night. The things Elena had discussed in their 'pillow talk' had shed a whole new light on Katherine's past as well.

No wonder Katherine was so messed up!

"So what eventually happened?"

Mason made a sound of disgust. "One serious bit of fucked up fate intervened and the poor kid got screwed. According to the court documents, before the case could even go before a judge, Dr. Grayson and her husband were killed in a freak car accident off some abandoned bridge. After that Katherine refused to testify against her father and the State didn't have a case anymore. With Dr. Grayson dead, her notes regarding Katherine were excluded from testimony because she hadn't been questioned before a Grand jury and no deposition had taken place. All they had was the hearsay notes of a dead doctor and an uncooperative minor as a victim. The case was dismissed and Katherine was returned to her family."

"And right back into her father's hands," Damon added, closing his eyes briefly. He was sickened to his core as he digested Mason's information and the ramifications of how it must have affected Katherine. "So, once again…everyone, including the justice system, had abandoned her." He shook his head. "Fuck!"

Mason gave an affirmative grunt. "My thoughts exactly, bro. Let me tell you something, if that fucker wasn't already dead, I think I might just go track him down myself and make him pay for doing that to his little girl. I mean what kind of monster does that to his baby?!"

Damon shook his head. "I don't know, Mas, but so many things about Kat make sense now. How distrustful and needy she is for security. I should have seen it—done something. Instead I just assumed she was a calculating bitch and ignored all the signs that said something deeper was wrong there."

"Damon," Mason said, ending Damon's self-flagellation. "Hey, I didn't bring this to your attention just so you could forget everything Kat has done to you in the past. No fucking way, man."

"Mason…" Damon began, but his friend cut him off.

"No. Hold up, just listen to me. Yeah, she had some real fucked up breaks, but once she was out of that house, she started making her own choices. And when she decided to marry your brother while telling you she loved you…that was a conscious choice. She chose the money over you. Just because she had some real fucking losers for parents doesn't excuse all that shit. Her sister had the same loser parents and from what I've been able to gather on Elena, she's squeaky clean from head to toe. Hell, the girl is even a damned war hero! So remember that. Same cookie cutters—two totally different breed of cookies! Okay?"

Damon chuckled softly, appreciating Mason's passion for sticking up for him—even when it wasn't really needed. "I know, Mas. And trust me, I won't be waiting in line for a 'Team Katherine' T-shirt anytime in this lifetime. I can promise you. Kat may have had a rough time of it, but her scars are burned too deep for me to ever forget."

"Good," Mason said and then started to needle him about his skin being too thick for anyone to ever really penetrate and Damon was relieved to let the sensitive topic of Katherine drop. Their conversation quickly went on to safer, far less disturbing matters and within moments Mason had Damon laughing over a ridiculous story about his nephew Tyler getting a hold of some kind of male "un-happy pills" (apparently they made a guy totally limp down south) and then nearly getting busted by his C.O while the pills were in his possession.

"If he'd been caught…?" Mason laughed as he role-played the C.O. "Mr. Lockwood, can you explain to me why would you need these kind of pills? Is there a problem the ARMY should know about?" he chortled, busting up. "Can you just imagine that conversation, bro?"

Damon shook his head, chuckling. "I don't want to. Your nephew is just damned lucky he wasn't caught." He rolled his eyes. "Jesus that would be one of those top ten most embarrassing moments of all time!" Mason agreed and Damon asked, "So, did he ever tell you why he had them to begin with?"

"Nah. His lips were sealed as tight as a nuns knickers on this one. The only thing I could get out of him was the pills were for a friend."

"Must be some friend," Damon replied with a smirk, having no idea Tyler's friend had been Elena…

*************************************D&E****************************************

Fell's Church: The Salvatore House:

At seven pm on the dot, Damon pulled into the driveway that led to his home. He flashed the guard manning the gate a smile as the guy buzzed him. Damon tapped his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently as he waited for the large metal doors to swing open, allowing him to drive inside. As he drove up the long gravel driveway that led to the house, it suddenly occurred to him why they now had a private security detail working the house when (in all the years before) it had never been necessary. He'd always wondered why Stefan had installed a guard-shack to monitor the gate, but after learning of Katherine's past, he figured he knew why. He be willing to bet his last dollar it had been Kat that had insisted on it in an attempt to ensure the Första brothers couldn't just waltz on in. Not that he blamed her. If he had two mass murderers looking for him, he supposed he'd want extra security too. And from what Rose told him, those guys were worthy of an extra guard or two. They sounded like trouble with a Capital T!

He parked in his usual spot next to Katherine's black Mercedes, surprised to see Stefan's red Porsche in the driveway as well; his brother rarely made it home before he did. It took him a second to realize Elena's rented Toyota was gone, and when he did, disappointment assailed him for a minute. He'd been looking forward to seeing her. But as quick as it came, it was replaced by the anticipation of when she'd return. He'd wanted to take her out tonight, but he supposed it could wait—hopefully, she'd be willing to spend the night getting reacquainted in the same manner as they'd gotten so friendly last night.

Was he being an ass to expect her to jump right back in bed with him? Was he rushing things? She'd acted like she wanted more than a one night stand, but maybe she didn't. Was that why she was gone?

Doubts and questions plagued him and Damon spun the scenarios for why she'd left so abruptly around and around for a moment before he finally stopped and shut his head down.

Fuck! He was acting like a teenage girl embroiled in a first crush!

And that embarrassing thought brought him back to reality with a thud. He decided to play it cool and see where Elena went before he made even more of an ass out of himself. She was probably at the store or something and he was immediately assuming the worst…

He shook his head at himself as he let himself in. Little did he know what was waiting for him inside…

**************************************D&E****************************************

Katherine's surveillance monitors alerted her to Damon's arrival. With a frown, she noted the time—seven O'clock. Before Elena, Damon had never made it home before nine or ten pm. Sometimes he didn't come home at all, preferring to stay in the apartment he had in the city. But even when he did make the drive from New York to Connecticut, he had never—ever—regularly arrived home in time for dinner like he had these last few weeks. Ever since her sister had blown into her life again, Damon had become a regular nine to five Joe.

It pissed Katherine off to no end.

This further proof of Damon's obvious attraction to Elena enraged Kat, cementing her determination to carry on with the plan she'd already set in motion earlier today when she'd given her sister a hundred and fifty thousand dollars, sent her on her way and then packed all her belongings, making it appear as if she was never coming back.

Now all she had to do was lead Damon into seeing Elena was gone, plant a few seeds of doubt about when (if ever) she was returning and his own insecurities should do the rest. Katherine smirked. Knowing Damon the way she did, he'd assume the worst. And when he self-destructed, he'd destroy whatever budding relationship he and Elena had…and she'd win.

Katherine hummed to herself as she stowed the last of Elena's things deep within her huge walk-in closet before making her way out of her suite and downstairs to set the next step of her plan in motion.

"Let the games begin, lover," she said softly, anticipating the look of surprise, hurt and then anger that would suffuse Damon's face when he heard Elena had taken the money and bailed on him.

Or at least, that was what she was going to tell him…

***************************************D&E***************************************

Okay guys, yes Kat is up to all her old dastardly tricks! She's one seriously messed up puppy, but there are reasons for her madness as well. Anyhow, the next chappie will answer the questions of will Damon (or won't he) fall for Katherine's trap? Will Elena suffer for it? Will Damon see through it? And last, but not least…Will Klaus and Elijah just take the money and leave Kat alone or will they still come for her?

All of these questions will be answered in the next installment of All's fair in Love and War.

**Now if you'd click that little blue button and feed my musie beast. Reviews are her addiction and when she's fat and happy, she feeds me and my creativity. Yes, she is a greedy little beeyatch, but she's on fire right now, so we must keep the beast happy! Lol! ;) ;)

Till next time guys,

Jen